The purpose of The Christian Working Woman is to equip and encourage Christians in the workplace to love Christ more, to live their daily lives by biblical principles, and to go to their jobs as ambassadors for Jesus Christ. For more information on our ministry go to: www.christianworkingwoman.org.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Have you ever tried to figure out how to avoid having a
critical spirit and yet not overlook or condone sinful behavior?It’s a mental struggle for me, for as I have
grown in my knowledge of God and the Word—and hopefully gained some spiritual
maturity—the sins and deeds of the flesh, including my own, are more apparent
than ever.I don’t want to give the
impression of condoning wrong lifestyles or behaviors, things which I know are
against clear biblical principles.But I
don’t want a critical spirit, which is prone to notice the “specks” in the eyes
of others.

In reading Dallas Willard’s The Divine Conspiracy, I find a beautiful perspective.He writes about the spirit of condemnation,
which we are prone to have, and the damage that can do to others.He points out that “It is extremely rare that
anyone who is condemned will respond by changing in the desired way.” (p.
246)Condemnation never does anyone any
good; that is why we all rejoice in the truth of Romans 12:1:“Therefore,
there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”And we shout “Amen” because we know that
condemnation is painful and crushes our spirit and de-motivates us—and we hate
it.

Yet, how do we
avoid condemning others when we see what we know to be wrong behavior and
attitudes?Dallas goes on to write, “We
do not have to—we cannot—surrender the valid practice of distinguishing and
discerning how things are in order to avoid condemning others.”(page 248) But we must learn the very
delicate art of “speaking the truth in love” without attacking the other
person’s worth as a human being.

And then he gives
some wonderful insight as to what to do when others try to condemn you.He writes:

“And as for the
condemnation we may receive from others, I endeavor not to receive it, to just
ignore or drop it.I have learned to
look at it only while simultaneously holding in full view the fact that Jesus,
far from condemning me, died for me and is right now intervening on my behalf
in the heavens.This helps me stay out
of counter-condemnation, with its pain and anger.

“‘Who is this one condemning me.’ I
ask, ‘when set beside that One who does not condemn me?’I think I shall not be depressed about this
condemnation of me, then, especially since I know that ‘nothing can separate me
from the eternal love of Christ’ (Romans 8:33-35).And in this context it seems only intelligent
just to have done with the whole condemning game.”(page 250)

How would our
worlds change if you and I just decided to “have done with the whole condemning
game,” to refuse to both give it or receive it?I’m ready to have done with it, how about you?